holidays, markets, and sports

July 21, 2024 • 3 Comments

During a week, a month actually, when Americans and many in the world have been on a political roller coaster ride, life in nature continued, as it does. I discovered a chrysalis on a lavender plant and am awaiting the butterfly's emergence. If you look carefully, you can see how it is attached to the lavender stem.

Chrysalis 2024

It is also the height of the travel season for many. They are on holiday, scattered around the world, enjoying time away from jobs and the news. And there are a good many who are home but glued to their televisions or are actually on the roadways now, watching the Tour de France, which was won for the third time as I write (spoiler alert) by Tadej Pogacar And the Olympic Games opening ceremony is this Friday in Paris. Given those, I recommend viewing The Boys in the Boat on Amazon Prime. The Boys in the Boat is based on the 1936 Olympic rowing event, and how an underdog junior varsity team from the University of Washington is chosen, trained, and makes its way into national and international races. Based on the true story turned into a narrative non-fiction novel by Daniel James Brown, it is an uplifting story for the ages.

Released in 2023, Tour de France Unchained is airing on Netflix, and goes into the inner workings, strategies, mayhem, injuries, and brut strength that these cycling men/machines possess. Quite frankly, I cannot even imagine how much food each of the cyclists consumes to make it through even part of a single stage. Although the gentleman below is obviously not participating in the Tour, my bet he has pretty decent quads driving this rig around the streets of Bratislava.

Bicycles are everywhere in Europe. They are major means of transport. No wonder the Tour means so much to so many.

Thanks to Barbara F. R., Gustavo, Kay C., Catherine S., Paule, Rebecca, Steve, and M. Fred for your comments last week.

I found this quotation in the beginning of a book I am reading and thought it appropriate.

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." W. B. Yeats

until next Monday,

a passion for the image©

Keywords: germany, slovakia, blacks crossing photography, bratislava, daryl a. black, new mexico, photography, regensburg, spanish market

Comments

Steve Immel(non-registered)

Thanks for your eclectic world traveling entry today, Daryl. Your capture of the chrysalis is stunning especially the tiny threads that attach it to lavender plant.

And thanks, too, for the heads-up about The Boys in the Boat and the documentary about the 2023 Tour de France. We will look for both. I had not sought out the former after seeing lackluster reviews, but I've had two recommendations to watch it this week. I loved the book. Did you that actor Hugh Laurie's father was a rower for England in the 1936 games?

I've followed cycling since the 80s when I was competing in triathlons. I'm not as glued to the screen as I once was but read the recaps of each stage every day/ Pogacar dominated in a big way this year with the first Giro/Tour combo since 1998 I believe. When I was competing, I could eat everything in sight.

TTT(non-registered)

Oh my, look at that engineering miracle on the chrysalis! Please sit there w camera and catch Ms Butterfly’s emergence for all us followers !!

Gustavo(non-registered)

Sharp eye catching the chrysalis on your lavender plant. It is so well disguised. Beautiful, waiting to emerge into the world.

We really liked the movie you mention, watched it a couple of weeks back. And thanks for the tip on the "tour de France" documentary.

No comments posted.